Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov has urged the further development of children's sport at a meeting of the Children's Sport Development Fund (CSDF) board of trustees.

The fund - backed by government agencies, industrial enterprises, non-government bodies and the public - will support a number of sports schemes in the current year. Nearly 150 construction and refurbishment projects are to be carried out with support from the fund, including 130 to benefit children's sport.

Last year, the CSDF 'accumulated' UZS116.8bn (£42.7m, EUR50.3m, US$69.6m) - more than anticipated and a 55.9 per cent increase between 2008-11. Karimov told the fund's board of trustees that it was crucial that Uzbekistan continued with the development of children's sport in a bid to improve elite performance.

"If we want the Uzbek sports to occupy a deserved place on the international arena, we must systematically develop the children's and youth's sports," he said. "Putting it short, children's sport should be the future of the Uzbek sports, the basis of increasing the glory of the Uzbek sports on the international arena."